Baylor University and Anti-LGBTQIA2S+ Christian Bigotry

I get tired of writing about this, but it is important to be aware of those church-based or church-connected institutions of higher education that proudly and loudly (unlike Jesus) claim their religious (Christian) status in harassing and abusing LGBTQIA2S+ students, staff, and teaching faculty. The latest culprit? Baylor University. Baylor claims it is a private Christian University that is “#1 in research.” This is not a small college or university, but a modern major research university with competitive sports teams that gets a lot of federal funding for many projects in the university, with law schools, medical schools, and a seminary. Nevertheless, the Biden Administration gave Baylor permission to harass LGBTQIA2S+ people. Baylor is going to be openly un-welcoming of LGBTQIA2S+ people, claiming their Southern Baptist roots and deny LGBTQIA2S+ protections. Of course, Jesus would harass LGBTQIA2S+ people, right? You can now harass LGBTQIA2S+ with an LGBTQIA2S+ person not having any legal recourse at Baylor University.

And yes, there is a seminary on the campus: The George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Did I write that already? They have a seminary that trains ministers to be homophobes?

They are affiliated with Baptist General Convention of Texas. Baylor’s charter says, “Baylor (is) a Baptist university ‘founded by Baptists and for Baptists.” 

How heart warming. Sounds like something Jesus would say...not.

Fiona Andre of Religionnews.com, wrote a story on this latest act of exclusion. In 2021, the Religious Exemption Accountability Project filed a Title IX complaint on behalf of “former student Veronica Bonifacio Penales, in which she accused the university of tolerating sexual harassment after the school failed to address homophobic slurs she received from other students on campus and social media.” 

As a refresher, Title IX is a federal civil right law, the Education Amendment of 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or any other education program that receives funding from the federal government. 

In recent years, Title IX not only protected women who were being discriminated against in various institutions of higher education which were receiving federal funds, like Baylor or Duke University (which claims it is a United Methodist Church institution when it is convenient). 

President Linda Livingstone of Baylor University put out a statement last week, claiming that the modification of Title IX, that also protects LGBTQIA2S+ people, could “infringe on Baylor’s rights under the US Constitution, as well as Title IX, to conducts its affairs in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs.” 

Here’s a link to the story: https://www.advocate.com/religion/baylor-university-sexual-harrassment-lgbtq

Is Baylor now going to follow the path of the Southern Baptist church and be sure there are no women in leadership positions, like the current President of Baylor? After all, they want to be “consistent” in the manner by which they run Baylor.

There is clearly an act of bigotry and hate towards LGBTQIA2S+ people by an institution that claims to be “Christian.” 

It is a Christianity that is alien to the practices of Christ.

I have no doubt that other colleges and universities that receive federal funding that are connected to the religious right, like Baylor, will do the same in the very near future.

It is a sad and bitter state of affairs.

LGBTQIA2S+ Christians: We have some work to do with this school.

Forward together, not one step back.



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